Good morning, everybody. It's
great to see you. I'm going to be going Thursday
night to Brother Tom Harding's and be remembering me. You know,
every time you stand up, this is a serious thing. This is a
serious thing. And going up there to our dear
brethren, I just pray the Lord will bless it, truly bless it. Let's have a word of prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you
for another time. Thank you, Lord, for another
opportunity where we can gather together in your presence and
worship you. And Lord, we pray for mercy.
We pray that you would show mercy and grace to us this morning. Lord, would you please open up
your word? Would you prepare our hearts
to hear what you have to say? Would you both teach us and bless
us? Lord, we are so grateful for
all of your goodness, all of your kindness. And Lord, we are
so grateful that you would choose to lay hold of us in spite of
us. And we're so sorry for the fact that we do take it for granted.
We take our salvation, we take your love for granted, but Lord,
would you cause us to remember and cause us to enter in and
be thankful for what you've done for us. We pray that you will
bless your word everywhere it's declared today. Lord, we pray
that you'll watch over our loved ones who are not with us. Would
you hedge them about, keep them safe? We pray for our loved ones
that are going through sicknesses and trials, Lord. You know each
one of us. You know the things that you
are causing us to go through. And we look to you and we bring
each other before you. Lord, would you help us and be
with us? In the same way that you prayed for Peter, Lord, would
you pray for us? Pray for our hearts and pray
for our minds and Thank you for the intercession you make on
our behalf. Lord, we ask all these things
and we ask forgiveness from our sin in Christ's name. Amen. Turn
with me, if you would, to 2 Corinthians chapter 1. 2 Corinthians chapter 1. It's a big thing in religion
to have men and women stand up and give their testimony, isn't
it? That's a big thing. Stand up
and give your testimony. I'm sure after you do it a while,
you get used to it. Years ago, I was involved in
something that had nothing to do with religion at all. We were
given a presentation, and the man who was putting it on was
extremely religious, just extremely religious. And he got wind of
this other lady who was also involved. She had let it be known
that she had just recently gotten saved. So he pulled her to the
side and he said, listen, before we start this, why don't you
stand up and give your testimony? And she said, my testimony. I've
never done that." And he said, well, you know, you just stand
up and tell everybody how the Lord saved you and what happened.
And she said, I don't know. He said, now listen, you've got
an audience here. You've got listening ears. You're not going
to stand up for Jesus and this and that. And she said, okay.
So she came over to me afterwards and she was sweating bullets.
She said, he wants me to give my testimony. And I didn't say
anything. I didn't want to have anything
to do with that. I'm sure it gets easier for people after
they do it a while. I'm sure they get their story
down. I'm sure they get their emotional experience down. And
the more they do that, the easier it gets. But do you know the
reason why God's true believers don't spend their time of worship? We have a designated amount of
time for worship. And do you know why God's people
don't spend their time taking turns, standing up, and giving
a personal testimony. The reason is because we all
have the same testimony. We were all saved the exact same
way. There is only one way. Right? There's only one way. How was I saved? Same way you
were saved. Same way. I really don't have
any new thing to tell you on that. But even though we don't
stand up and we don't individually bring attention to ourselves,
we do have a testimony. We do. We all collectively have
a testimony and we communicate that testimony. And we rejoice
in that testimony. I mean, we truly rejoice in our
testimony. Now, look with me here at 2 Corinthians
1 verse 12 says, For our rejoicing is this. The Apostle Paul is
about to tell us this right here is our rejoicing. He said, Our
rejoicing is this. The testimony of our conscience. That's our rejoicing. The testimony
of our conscience. Every single one of God's children
rejoices in His own testimony. Every single one. And God, through
the Apostle Paul, tells us what it is. You know, if that woman
was asked to give her testimony, I know what she was thinking.
What am I supposed to say? Well, here it is. For every single
one of us, God tells us what our testimony is, alright? Here
in verse 12, He gives us four things. Four things that are
the testimony of every believer's conscience. Verse 12 says, For
our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience. Now, what
is the testimony of our conscience? Number one, he said, that in
simplicity, that in simplicity, simplicity. What does he mean by simplicity? If you've got a center reference
in your Bible, do you see how the word simplicity says chapter
11 verse 3? Turn with me over there to 2
Corinthians. 11. 2 Corinthians 11 verse 3 says,
But I fear lest by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through
his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity
that is in Christ. The simplicity of Christ. I mean the simplicity of Christ. The singularity of Christ. Christ alone, plus all of these
doctrines that have the word ism or the suffix or whatever
it's called, ism attached to it. No, Christ alone. Christ alone. The simplicity. The gospel is so simple. It's
so simple. Babes can rejoice in it. Children can rejoice in it. I know from personal experience
and I believe what I hear. Children can rejoice in the gospel
and in the Word of God. The simplicity of Christ alone. That's the testimony of our conscience. If we could go into our conscience
and see what would I testify. Number one, the simplicity of
Christ. The absolute simplicity of Christ
alone. That's our testimony and that's
our rejoicing. That's our rejoicing. What started
this whole thing? What started this whole thing?
Christ alone. That's the only answer. What
accomplished this whole thing? You know, people are going to
stand up there and give their testimony on how they got saved,
which is a terrible phrase. May the Lord keep us from saying
that. I didn't get saved. God saved
me. I didn't get God. God got me. And how was it accomplished? Christ alone. Christ alone. That's it. What are we truly
hanging our eternal souls on? I'm so afraid of that illustration
that's been given before that men are hanging over the mouth
of hell by a spider's web. I wouldn't want to grab a spider's
web. What are we truly hanging our eternal souls on? Christ
alone. That's it. Christ alone. So that
is the testimony of our conscience, isn't it? That's the testimony
of our conscience. The simplicity of Christ alone. Now go with me back to 2 Corinthians
1. That was the first thing we testify.
Here's the second. Verse 12 says, For our rejoicing
is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity
and godly sincerity. Godly means divinely given. When you look up that word, that's
what it means, divinely given. People see that word And the
first thing the flesh naturally thinks is, let me look at myself
and see if I am godly. And see if I can be that way
towards God. That's not what the word means.
It's not me to God. It's God to me. Divinely given. And the word sincerity means
purity. Purity. Divinely given Now there's
a center reference for that. I really want to point out these
center references to show us why we're going where we're going.
There's a center reference next to sincerity and it says 1 Corinthians
5. Go with me over there to 1 Corinthians
5. Now on this thing of godly sincerity,
none of God's people see themselves as being holy rollers. None of God's people, none of
God's people see themselves as being better than thou. If for
one moment they do see themselves to be that, God will take care
of it. He will take care of it. He will
bring us back down where we belong. None of God's people see themselves
to be holy rollers better than anybody. The man who penned the
text we're looking at and the man who penned the text we're
about to read said, I am the chief of sinners. That was not
lip service. That was not what the Apostle
Paul knew he needed to say and he knew was right and sounded
good. God would have never put it in his word if it was not
absolute truth and sincerity. He said, I am the worst. I am
the chief of sinners. So knowing what we are, We're
all aware of the fact that if we're going to make it to glory
based on our godliness, we're not going to make it to glory.
Right? If it's based on our godliness,
we're not going to make it to glory. At the same time though,
at the exact same time, God, and we don't get the credit for
this, God divinely gives a heart for His purity. He divinely gives
a heart for His goodness and His purity. And they, all of
God's people, they sincerely desire that goodness and that
purity. I mean, they really do desire
it. So right here in chapter 5, that's
what He's exhorting us to is this purity. And He's dealing
with the issue of fornication right here. Verse 1 says, it
is reported commonly. What that means is everybody
knows. Everybody knows that there is
fornication among you. Fornication is not okay. I don't know what else to say
about it. There's nothing else to say about it. Fornication
is not okay. It's just not. Fornication is a man and a woman
coming together outside of marriage. It's not okay. That's all I'm
going to say. It's not okay. I believe every
person in here knows that. We're going to put this on the
internet. Maybe somebody who's never heard this will hear it. It's not okay. It's just not
okay. A man and a woman need to be
married. A man and a woman must be married. Why? God said so. God said so. We went through
Corinthians, first Corinthians not long ago. And you may or
may not remember. I remember because I was studying
it and it was real to me that I was dealing with it again and
dealing with it. It's all through Corinthians. And this is not
the Old Testament. Well, that's the Old Testament.
This is the New Testament. Right? And a man and a woman
need to be married. God said that that's the case. And I know today, not only is
it accepted, I mean, it is easily, easily accepted. No problem.
That's great. Not only in the world is it accepted,
it's celebrated. It's celebrated. The God of heaven
says that it's absolutely wretched. It happens. It happens, yes. But God Almighty says that it's
wretched and the reason is because it makes a mockery out of the
covenant that Jesus Christ made with his bride. That's the reason why. I want to start over and say
God's people are not holy rollers. They're not puffed up. If God
takes his hand off of us, if God leaves us to ourselves, there
is nothing that anybody is not capable of. Nothing. But this is what he's dealing
with. And he said in verse 2, you're puffed up over this thing.
And he said, you have not rather mourned. You're not trying to
hide it. You don't feel any guilt over
it. You don't feel any shame over it. And he said, neither
does the congregation. Verse two, the end of it says
this person is supposed to be taken away from among you. Not only is this wickedness welcomed,
it's celebrated. Celebrated by everybody. Verse
3, he said, I'm absent in body, but I'm present in spirit. And
he said, as God's apostle, he said, I've already made my judgment
as though I was right there with you. Verse 5, he said, you need
to deliver such in one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh.
Is he saying that person is damned to hell for all eternity? Absolutely
not. Thank God. Thank God, absolutely
not. He's saying you need to do this,
the end of verse 5, that the spirit may be saved in the day
of the Lord Jesus. What he's saying is our flesh
must be destroyed. Our flesh must be destroyed and
we must find repentance toward God. It's the goodness of God
that will lead a rebellious sinner to repentance, isn't it? And
we must find it and sometimes God does not allow us to find
it until we hit rock bottom, sometimes. But he said in verse
6, he said, your glorying is not good. In the midst of all
of it, they were saying, that's all for the glory of God, you
know. To God be the glory. And he said, your glorying is
not good. Know you not that a little leaven
leavens a whole lump? Just a little bit of flesh, a
little pride, a little self ruins it all. Just a little bit of
look at me can completely take our eyes off Christ, completely.
Verse 7, he said, purge out therefore the old leaven that you may be
a new lump as you are unleavened for even Christ our Passover
is sacrificed for us. Paul is not saying this and believers
don't say this so we can earn a salvation. I'd like to go back
to point number one, Christ alone. We're not trying to earn a salvation. We're doing this because God
has given us salvation. This is the heart that goes with
the salvation he provided. He said you are unleavened. Christ is sacrificed for us. It's all just because of Christ.
It's all just for Christ's sake. Love and respect for Him and
for His Word. All right, now we understand
the verse that He sent us to for our reference. Verse 8, here
it is. He said, Therefore let us keep
the feast, not with old leaven. We're not trying to be saved
through the old leaven of the law, right? Do this and live. We're not trying to earn that
righteousness before God. Christ is our righteousness.
He said, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven. Don't bring
the law back up again to earn a righteousness. He said, neither
with the leaven of malice and wickedness. The flip side is
we're not trying to live a life of rebellion and sin. Believing
that our Lord is our get out of jail free card, you know.
Verse 8, he said, but do it with the unleavened bread of sincerity
and truth. Do it with a heart of goodness
and purity for the truth's sake, for Christ's sake. This right
here is the testimony of a believer's conscience. This is what the
heart of a believer says. I am so sick and tired of my
wicked flesh. I'm so sick and tired of it.
Just so tired of it. I'm so ready to be rid of this
body of death. Don't we say that? I do not revel
in what I am. Paul, in Romans 7, he was talking
about being so torn. The things I want to do, I don't
do them. The things I wish I didn't do, that's what I do. He said,
Oh, wretched man that I am. I don't revel in what I do. I'm
ready to be rid of it. I want the purity of Christ so
badly. I want to be just like Christ
so badly. And we desire what He commands
us all through this. Put off the old man, put on the
new man. If He'll enable us to do that,
that's what we want to do. Isn't that the testimony of our
conscience? Go with me back to 2 Corinthians 1. Verse 12 says, For our rejoicing
is this, the testimony of our conscience. that in simplicity
and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom. All right, there's
a center reference for that one. 1 Corinthians 2, go with me over
there to 1 Corinthians 2. 1 Corinthians 2 verse 1 says, And
I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech
or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. He
said, I wasn't trying to impress anybody. Wasn't trying to impress
anybody. He said, For I determined not
to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That's it. And he said, I was
with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. That's
how the gospel is delivered. It's delivered in weakness. not
arrogance, not personal strength, not man's ability, weakness and
fear and trembling. And he said, my speech and my
preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in
demonstration of the spirit and power that your faith should
not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Let's see if the Lord will speak
to us. Not one ounce of our faith. This is how I want it to be for
myself. This is how I want it to be for
you. I would be so thankful to the Lord if he would allow you
to love me and believe the things I tell you. But I want this more
so than that. Not one ounce of our faith is
in the wisdom of men. Every single ounce of our faith
is in the Spirit and the power of the words of Christ. Every single ounce of it. Scriptures
alone. Scriptures alone. Remember this,
Gabe Stoniker and everybody else. Let's remember this from here
on out. We do not believe something because
Charles Spurgeon said it, or John Gill said it, or John Calvin
said it. We agree with those men because
God Almighty said it. If John Gill says something that
God Almighty did not say, I disagree with John Gill on that point.
Does that make sense? That's where men go wrong. They get a hold of the doctrine
of a man. That man is everything. If that
man said it, that's it. He's everything. And if he says
that, then that's right. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Christ alone, Scriptures alone,
His word, the word of that man alone. If God said it, then it's
so. If God did not say it, then every
man is a liar. Right here. If I say something
God does not say, I'm a liar. based on the Word of God. It does not matter what any man
thinks. It does not matter what any man
thinks. Well, see, there's this man who
I love very much and I trust him and I have a lot of respect
for him. No. It does not matter what any man thinks. I don't
care what I think. I have changed my mind so many
times, it's not even funny, on things I thought I believed,
but I saw otherwise in the Word of God. I don't care what I think. What I think is irrelevant. It
is absolutely irrelevant. Scriptures alone. Period. scriptures alone, the wisdom
and the will and the word of Christ alone. Is that the testimony
of our conscience? Is that what we, when you cut
down to the bottom of it, is that the testimony of our conscience?
You know, the only other thing to do is say, well, I know God
says this, yes, it's in there, but I think I'm going to lean
this way. You know, no, no, no. Scriptures alone, Christ alone,
no worldly wisdom of the flesh, none. Back to our text, we're
almost done. 2 Corinthians 1 verse 12 says, for our rejoicing is this, the
testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity,
not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God. A believer's testimony ascribes
all things to the grace of God. All things. A testimony is a
telling of something. That's what a testimony is. And
he said, he went on to say there in verse 12, we have had our
conversation in the world and more abundantly to you. given
our testimony in our conversation to the world, but more abundantly,
more specifically, more often to you. Who are the you word?
He said in verse one, the church of God, all the saints, all of
God's He said, our rejoicing is this conversation that we
have together, this conversation we have in common. And every
person in this room is going to understand what the apostle
is saying right here. We have a desire for Christ alone,
and we tell each other, don't we? And we love it. Oh, it's so good. We have a desire
to simply hear about Christ and know more about Christ, who He
is, what He did. It brings us great pleasure and
happiness to communicate that with each other and testify that
to each other. Our rejoicing is in that common
conversation of our desire to be just like Him. We talk about
it. We look forward to it. I mean,
we're going to have no sin, we're going to have the Spirit without
measure, we're going to be just like Him in His godly purity. We desire that. Our rejoicing
is in this common conversation of our desire to absolutely reject
all fleshly wisdom. Scriptures alone. The word of
Christ alone. That's our wisdom. And he said
our rejoicing is in this common conversation that everything
we are, everything we have, everything we do is by the grace of God. It's all by the grace of God.
And then he gave one more thing. One more thing of rejoicing,
one more thing of testimony, one more reason to rejoice. I'll
close with this, verse 13. For we write none other thing
unto you than what you read or acknowledge, and I trust you
shall acknowledge even to the end, as also you have acknowledged
us in part that we are your rejoicing. even as also you are ours in
the day of the Lord Jesus. This is a believer's rejoicing.
This is a believer's testimony of his conscience. I love Christ.
I love the purity of Christ. I renounce everything but the
wisdom and will of Christ. I give all the glory to Christ
and I love the people of Christ. Love. Isn't that our rejoicing?
Isn't that our testimony? I believe it is. Alright, you're
dismissed.